The South African Security Agency has assured the country that it is on top of its game when it comes to terrorist threats even on the alleged presence of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) members in the country.
This assurance came from The Presidency during a media briefing in Tshwane on Sunday. The briefing was held in the light of recent US Department of Treasury’s sanction on alleged members of ISIS in South Africa accusing them of “having provided technical, financial, or material support to the terrorist group (ISIS)”.
The South African government has acknowledged that the security cluster is aware of the information provided by the US which last month issued an alert to its citizens on a possible terrorist attack in Sandton.
At the time the South African government criticised the United States embassy for creating unnecessary anxiety and panic in the manner in which it communicated this information. The President’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya said the South African enforcement authorities are monitoring possible terrorist threats in the country.
“It remains the responsibility of the South African security forces to ensure that all people within our country are safe. Law enforcement agencies always monitor the threats to our citizens, our nation and sovereignty.
“The South African and the United State law enforcement agencies will continue in the normal course of their work to exchange critical information whenever necessary within the context of bilateral relationship between the two countries and ongoing issues on security matters,” said Magwenya.
“Furthermore, on that particular announcement on those individuals, there was nothing necessarily new from the South African law enforcement agencies point of view. So there was no new information that our law enforcement agencies didn’t have. They are on top of that situation,” said Magwenya.
